Compton scattering correction methods for pixellated radiation detector arrays

1. A method of correcting for Compton scattering effects in a pixel radiation detector capable of registering gamma ray detection events occurring in two or more detector pixels within an event frame, comprising:

determining whether gamma ray detection events occurred in two or more detector pixels within an event frame;

in response to determining that the gamma ray detection events occurred in the two or more detector pixels within the event frame, determining whether the gamma ray detection events that occurred in the two or more detector pixels within the event frame occurred in the two or more detector pixels within a threshold distance of each other; and

recording the gamma ray detection events, which occurred in the two or more detector pixels within the event frame as a single gamma ray detection event having an energy equal to a sum of measured energies of the gamma ray detection events, which occurred in the two or more detector pixels within the event frame and in a location of a detector pixel of the two or more detector pixels having a highest measured energy in response to determining that the gamma ray detection events occurred in the two or more detector pixels within the threshold distance of each other.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

ignoring or not recording the gamma ray detection events, which occurred in the two or more detector pixels in response to determining that the gamma ray detection events occurred in the two or more detector pixels separated by more than the threshold distance.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the threshold distance is a predetermined threshold distance that is based upon an energy of gamma ray photons incident on the pixel radiation detector and a characteristic of the two or more detector pixels in the pixel radiation detector.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the characteristic of the two or more detector pixels in the pixel radiation detector upon which the predetermined threshold distance is based includes one or more of detector materials, a detector thickness, a detector pixel size, or a separation distance between detector pixels.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the threshold distance is a predetermined threshold distance within which a predefined fraction of Compton scattered photons will undergo another Compton scattering event or an absorption via a photoelectric effect.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the predetermined threshold distance is defined in terms of a number of detector pixels.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining whether an energy measured in any of the two or more detector pixels is within a Compton gap of gamma ray photons incident on the pixel radiation detector; and

ignoring or not recording the gamma ray detection events, which occurred in the two or more detector pixels in response to determining that the energy measured in any of the two or more detector pixels is within the Compton gap of gamma ray photons incident on the pixel radiation detector.

8. A Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) imaging system, comprising:

a pixel radiation detector including detector pixels; and

an analyzer unit configured to receive data from the detector pixels and output analyzed data, wherein the analyzer unit is configured to perform operations of:

determining whether gamma ray detection events occurred in two or more detector pixels within an event frame;

in response to determining that the gamma ray detection events occurred in the two or more detector pixels within the event frame, determining whether the gamma ray detection events that occurred in the two or more detector pixels within the event frame occurred in the two or more detector pixels within a threshold distance of each other; and

recording the gamma ray detection events, which occurred in the two or more detector pixels within the event frame as a single gamma ray detection event having an energy equal to a sum of measured energies of the gamma ray detection events, which occurred in the two or more detector pixels within the event frame and in a location of a detector pixel of the two or more detector pixels having a highest measured energy in response to determining that the gamma ray detection events occurred in the two or more detector pixels within the threshold distance of each other.

9. The SPECT imaging system of claim 8 , wherein the analyzer unit is further configured to perform operations of ignoring or not recording the gamma ray detection events, which occurred in the two or more detector pixels in response to determining that the gamma ray detection events occurred in the two or more detector pixels separated by more than the threshold distance.

10. The SPECT imaging system of claim 8 , wherein the threshold distance is a predetermined threshold distance that is based upon an energy of gamma ray photons incident on the pixel radiation detector and a characteristic of the two or more detector pixels in the pixel radiation detector.

11. The SPECT imaging system of claim 10 , wherein the characteristic of the two or more detector pixels in the pixel radiation detector upon which the predetermined threshold distance is based includes one or more of detector materials, a detector thickness, a detector pixel size, or a separation distance between detector pixels.

12. The SPECT imaging system of claim 11 , wherein the threshold distance is a predetermined threshold distance within which a predefined fraction of Compton scattered photons will undergo another Compton scattering event or an absorption via a photoelectric effect.

13. The SPECT imaging system of claim 12 , wherein the predetermined threshold distance is defined in terms of a number of detector pixels.

14. The SPECT imaging system of claim 8 , wherein the analyzer unit is configured to perform operations further comprising:

determining whether an energy measured in any of the two or more detector pixels is within a Compton gap of gamma ray photons incident on the pixel radiation detector; and

ignoring or not recording the gamma ray detection events, which occurred in the two or more detector pixels in response to determining that the energy measured in any of the two or more detector pixels is within the Compton gap of gamma ray photons incident on the pixel radiation detector.

15. A non-transitory processor-readable medium having stored thereon processor-executable instructions configured to cause a processor of a pixel radiation detector capable of registering gamma ray detection events occurring in two or more detector pixels within an event frame to perform operations comprising:

determining whether gamma ray detection events occurred in two or more detector pixels within an event frame;

in response to determining that the gamma ray detection events occurred in the two or more detector pixels within the event frame, determining whether the gamma ray detection events that occurred in the two or more detector pixels within the event frame occurred in the two or more detector pixels within a threshold distance of each other; and

recording the gamma ray detection events, which occurred in the two or more detector pixels within the event frame as a single gamma ray detection event having an energy equal to a sum of measured energies of the gamma ray detection events, which occurred in the two or more detector pixels within the event frame and in a location of a detector pixel of the two or more detector pixels having a highest measured energy in response to determining that the gamma ray detection events occurred in the two or more detector pixels within the threshold distance of each other.

16. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the stored processor-executable instructions are configured to cause the processor to perform operations further comprising:

ignoring or not recording the gamma ray detection events, which occurred in the two or more detector pixels in response to determining that the gamma ray detection events occurred in the two or more detector pixels separated by more than the threshold distance.

17. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the threshold distance is a predetermined threshold distance that is based upon an energy of gamma ray photons incident on the pixel radiation detector and a characteristic of the two or more detector pixels in the pixel radiation detector.

18. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the characteristic of the two or more detector pixels in the pixel radiation detector upon which the threshold distance is based includes one or more of detector materials, a detector thickness, a detector pixel size, or a separation distance between detector pixels.

19. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the threshold distance is a predetermined threshold distance within which ninety percent (90%) of Compton scattered photons may travel in detector materials before another Compton scattering event or an absorption via a photoelectric effect.

20. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the stored processor-executable instructions are configured to cause the processor to perform operations further comprising:

determining whether an energy measured in any of the two or more detector pixels is within a Compton gap of gamma ray photons incident on the pixel radiation detector; and

ignoring or not recording the gamma ray detection events, which occurred in the two or more detector pixels in response to determining that the energy measured in any of the two or more detector pixels is within the Compton gap of gamma ray photons incident on the pixel radiation detector.